Additional encoding in conventional one-dimensional bar code symbologies
US8794537B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 30, 2012 |
| Grant date | Aug 5, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06K19/06056
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An additional layer of encoding is provided using conventional one-dimensional (“1-D”) bar code symbology. Dark bars of at least 2 heights are used (where the dark bars may be narrow or wide, and may be separated by a space that is narrow or wide) for 2-dimensional (“2-D”) encoding. Whereas the width of the dark bars is significant in the 1-D encoding, the height of the dark bars is significant for the 2-D encoding. In one approach, dark bars of a shortest height are used for encoding conventional 1-D data, while dark bars of other heights encode additional data in a 2-D portion of a bar code. In another approach, consecutive dark bars are used in combination, according to a mapping which correlates the various combinations of bar heights to respective characters. The 2-D encoding rules may be proprietary, providing a type of data privacy.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.